%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> Nothing like to a good Wife:/ Let a Man consider to the end,/ A Loving Wife is his best Friend;/ In sickness and in health I say,/ She will stick to him night and day,/ Oh a Loving Wife, I say give me,/ And let all Light Huswifes Carted be:/ There's never no Man by them gets good/ If things be rightly understood:/ Unwholsome Ware, I say they be/ An Honest Wife of ones One, for my Money. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 0-1689 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 08/17/2007 21744

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

4.80 R188696 1 The Country Farmer King James's Jig; The Country Farmer King James's Jig; The Country Farmer THere is many a Man that in England do dwell/ That loves novelty=meat better than any, one can tell The best way is to let all bad Women alone/ And every Man be content with his own. [with variations] IT vexes a good Wife, and it troubles her mind,/ To see when her Husband proves so unkind; The best way is to let all bad Women alone/ And every Man be content with his own. [with variations] Pepys 4.80 Wing N1394[B] Pepys Library The Pepys ballads : facsimile volume Editor W.G. Day D.S. Brewer Cambridge [England] 1987 Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 4: 80 Nothing like to a good Wife:/ Let a Man consider to the end,/ A Loving Wife is his best Friend;/ In sickness and in health I say,/ She will stick to him night and day,/ Oh a Loving Wife, I say give me,/ And let all Light Huswifes Carted be:/ There's never no Man by them gets good/ If things be rightly understood:/ Unwholsome Ware, I say they be/ An Honest Wife of ones One, for my Money. Nothing like to a good Wife: Let a Man consider to the end, A Loving Wife is his best Friend; In sickness and in health I say, She will stick to him night and day, Oh a Loving Wife, I say give me, And let all Light Huswifes Carted be: There's never no Man by them gets good If things be rightly understood: Unwholsome Ware, I say they be An Honest Wife of ones One, for my Money. Nothing Like to a Good Wife: Let a Man Consider to the End, a Loving Wife is His Best Friend; In Sickness and in Health I Say, She Will Stick to Him Night and Day, Oh a Loving WIfe, I Say Give Me, and Let All Wanton Housewives Carted Be: There's Never No Man By THem Gets Good if Things Be Rightly Understood: Unwholesome Ware, I Say They Be an Honest Wife of One's One, for My Money. The second Part The second Part The Second Part 1/2 sheet oblong folio, 200 x 310 1/2 sheet oblong folio, 200 x 310 cropped right edge, uneven inking cropped right edge, uneven inking vertical rules and cast fleurons vertical rules and cast fleurons 0-1689 Printed for J. Conyers at the Black Raven in Holborn. J. Conyers BBTI

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 Taxonomy used by Pepys to Organize Ballads in Albums A Small Promiscuous Supplement Devotion & Morality Drinking & Good Fellowship History - True & Fabulous Humour, Frollicks &c Love Pleasant Love Pleasant and Unfortunate Love Unfortunate Marriage Sea State & Times Tragedy Various Subjects Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/health alcohol animals/nature appearance Bible/biblical figures buildings/architecture catastrophe children class clothing/fashion country/nation crime death economics/trade entertainment family/procreation folklore gender historical figures & events holidays/seasons infidelity law London love maritime marriage military/war monstrosity mythology/Classical world news nobility/court politics/government punishment religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/sexuality supernatural/magic The New World travel trickery/deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/crass humor Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 8/17/2007 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Marriage advice economics/trade marriage sex/sexuality vice 08/17/07 Checker Rachel Mann Transcription checked, Metadata updated, XML created 08/17/06 Transcriber Jessica Murphy Original Transcription 9/14/2004 Bibliographer Liberty Stanavage Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Nothing like to a good Wife:</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">Let a Man consider to the end,</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">A Loving Wife is his best Friend;</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">In sickness and in health I say,</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">She will stick to him night and day,</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">Oh a Loving Wife, I say give me,</hi></hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="7" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">And let all Light Huswifes Carted be:</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="8" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">There's never no Man by them gets good</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="9" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">If things be rightly understood:</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="10" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">Unwholsome Ware, I say they be</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="11" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">An Honest Wife of ones One, for my Money.</hi></hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="12" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">This may be Printed,</hi></hi> <hi rend="italic">R. P. To the Tune of, <hi rend="bold">The Country Farmer.</hi></hi></seg>
THere is many a Man that in England do dwell That loves novelty-meat better than any, one can tell But it can never hold, it will bring all to naught, If the business be search'd in and thoroughly sought: They'l say, change of Pasture it doth make fat Calves, But change of bad Women will make but lean Knaves: The best way is to let all bad Women alone And every Man be content with his own. What is't for a Man to work and take pains, When his Wife and his Children have none of the gains; But spend it abroad with those that are bad, I like no such doings it is wondrous sad; For Whores and bad Women will destroy a whole Mint; It's neither pleasing to God, nor no credit comes on't: The best way, etc.
Bad Women has been the ruine of many a man, And many a good Woman by them are undone; And many poor Children are brought into want, When Men are so given to follow a bad Haunt: For there is too many in the World now all o're, Makes many poor Woman have great sorrow t' indure, The best way is to let all bad Women alone, And every Man, etc. Alass, that a Man should be so overseen To forget his poor Wife, that's so constant to him! To forget that great Vow that in marriage he made, And to love her so lightly, with so little regard, To mind a Light Woman that's not a good way, They'l ne'er do a Man good in his need I do say, The best way, etc. The second Part to the same Tune.
IT vexes a good Wife, and it troubles her mind, To see when her Husband proves so unkind; To maintain other Women, and let her live in want, It is a displeasing to God, and no good will come on't; It has undone many a One, I say, to be sure, And Hell and Damnation at last will procure: The best way, etc. What is a Whore good for, but bring a Man to a Jayle, When his Stock it is wasted, and his goods they do fail? They'l undo any man, I do say, at the last, If he has not to fee them with money i' th' fist; And many a poor Wife is made but a slave, And lyes Crying at home, and wants what she should have: The best way, etc. There's ne'er an honest man, but he'll be of that mind, His one Wife is the best, and most love he shall find; If she be an honest Woman indeed, She may see him want, but she'll ne'er see him bleed: If a man stands in need, a Whore is far off, All the good he must look for, is a jear and a scoff: The best way, etc. These Silk-painted misses, let a man take great care, They'l empty a man's Pocket and they'l leave him thredbare; They destroy any man at the last to be sure, With Diseases and Poverty, and what she'll procure; God help that poor Woman, that has such a man, That will love one of those so much more than his one; The best way is, for to end the all strife, Is for every Man to love his own Wife. Concluding my Ditty of what we do tell, I wish all mankind they may ever do well; And hate all bad Women you that are so inclin'd, And cleave to your own Wives, and be loving and kind: Then God with his Goodness will be on their side, That marries a Wife, and does for her provide: Then defie all bad Women and let them alone, Best way for a man be content with his own.
Printed for J. Conyers at the Black Raven in Holborn.